As of July 21, 2019, observations of the phenomena associated with the individual known as "BlackHarte" has ceased. The individual voluntarily released control of the situation to another individual at the conclusion of the events. Contrary to expectations, the individual did not succumb to despair. Contrary to expectations, the individual was not killed by outside actors.

Despite the unexpected nature of the conclusion, it is this observer's opinion that the events transpired did not pose a significant matter to the continuation of our projects. This observer recommends that no further actions are necessary. The following notes are supplementary in nature and reflects this observer's independent opinions at the time of writing. The following notes should not be taken as a official recommendation for action and instead are provided for the sake of completion.

Official communication in this report ends here.

---

At the end of the events transpiring, only two of the eight original designated outside actors remained. There was observed conflict between the necessary course of action between them.

When the events transpiring ended, it was noted that the following individuals were removed from causality:

It was noted that several changes were made to the original timeline for which the cycle was perpetuated:

Dolores Selmy was never moved to combat classification.Anjali Khatri was never tempered by Titania la Fey.King Leoric no longer remembers the continuation of the Cycles.David West no longer holds the power of Observation.The Soul of Tomorrow and the Stormglaive no longer exist. The associated staff and crew of those ships have likewise ceased to exist.

It was noted that at the conclusion of the events transpiring, the phenomena preventing outside entities from entering the event space was lifted.

It was noted that at the conclusion of the events transpiring, possession of the "BlackHarte" item was transferred from Alice Marlow to Rugal Bernstein. Likewise, the power to regulate the event space has also been transferred. It is unclear at the time of writing what the effects will be.

"Uggghhhhh....My damn head..." The former King of Fighters sighed as he slowly awoke from his slumber.The dream he had last night felt like some sort of feverish nightmare though his attempts to properly recall just what exactly happened in it just made the banging in his head even worse.It was then that he noticed it: The dark gem in his hand."...Well-...don't recall buying a new gemstone...Can't be one of Teri's or Mel's..." He mused out as he examined the object in his hand.There was something-...unsettling about him having this in his procession and the first urge that came to his mind was to put it down before something bad happened.This train of thought was soon disrupted by a message from Viscus, barking at him though his PDA.

[Attention User: Rugal Bernstein. I have a priority 1 update for your viewing]"*Sigh* Hello to you too, Viscus...Hey, you didn't happen to see who left this gem in my room, did you?"[Negative. My systems were rebooting to integrate additional ship subsystems. I came here to inform you that during this process, the "Captain" permissions you enjoy have been transferred to another member of the crew. One "Mio".]"Wait-Transferred?...By whom?"[I do not have information on when or how the transfer was made. In order to transfer them back, you will need to contact Acting Captain Mio of the Rising Dawn]He stared blankly at Viscus's avatar for a moment as he processed what he was hearing, the annoyance quickly starting to pile up as he did so."...So what you're saying is...I'm not the Captain?"[Affirmative. This appears to be part of a unknown error but in order to return your permissions to you, you will require the clearance of the Acting Captain]"So you telling me that on top of "Accidently" getting my job, I need to get her blessing to get it back?"[Affirmative]"...Urgggg, fine, fine. I'll go talk to her..."

Groaning as he went to take something for his head, he gazed back at the gem for a moment, sizing it up before saying "...I'll figure out what to do with you later..."He got dressed, stuffed it into his pocket after downing some headache pills, he marched ou-"...?"And was greeted by a locked door, a nearby display saying "Access Denied: Captain's Quarters"."...Viscus, get this damn door open before I break it down..."The threat was enough for the AI to do a quick "Service Override" to let Rugal into the hallway, prompting him to groan "Just another day on the Rising Dawn..." as he went to try and find Mio.

David

"-No, you listen to me, Richie! We got the bad guys. It's on you to get someone here to pick them up! The situation in the US is over and G-Corp, NOD or whatever the hell they're calling themselves are out of the picture. So send over a aircraft and some handcuffs and get those guys off this ship. Don't think I forgot about the last time you screwed me on this. Get it done."Hanging up on his UNIT contact, David was clearly irate as once again, the "Put the bad guys in prison" part of his job was being held up by red tape.First they couldn't get permission, then they did, then the permission was invalid and so on.So instead of Bison and his merry band of super villains finally being put into the SUPERMAX prison they deserve, they continue to linger in the Rising Dawn's brig and constantly complaining about getting more yogurt.On top of feeling exhausted from a rather sleepless night, frustration was quickly building as he went to the Canteen to get another spice coffee.Urrrrgggg...why does Red Tape help the bad guys so much?... He thought to himself as he waved one of the imps over with a large jug of the stuff."Extra milk. Don't want to make that mistake again..." He ordered as he sipped his sweet sweet caffeine and started to browse the breakfast menu.

Jenny

While everyone else seemed to be having a pretty lousy morning, Jenny the Gardevoir was the exception.Having already gotten her coffee and a Poffin, she was in the middle of sorting out some long overdue paperwork for some of her patients both on the ship and back at her clinic.She had recently hired a few new people to help her run the NYC based mental health service and she was glad that she did.Patient care and costs were the best they've been in many years and it gave her more time to work on the needs of people on board the ship, a task that's kept her busy full time for as long as she could remember.Sending off a batch of emails to her employees, she then waltz through the halls as part of her morning routine, keeping her senses peeled for anyone who might require her services.

Leoric

The Black King of Khanduras was overseeing a ritual from before he was cursed to roam the land as an undead servant of evil.From a small throne room he had set up in one of the unused cargo bays, he sat as he watched his minions partake in a rite to honor their undying king."More to the right...little more...litttttttlle more-STOP!" He suddenly barked, prompting several skeletal servants to freeze in place as he looked upon their labors and smiled. (as much as a bare skull could)."...Perfect..." The Skeleton king smiled as he gazed upon a massive painting of himself so large it required at least 4 lesser skeletons just to move it."This is a fine tribute to your king! This vessel may not be the realm of Khanduras but those who come to have an Audience with it's King shall know my prestige and might! And after our efforts in Denver, I'll be expecting them to line up to witness my glory..." He spoke grandly as he returned to his throne and awaited the welcoming crowds of peasants ready to pay their respects to their liege.

..................And no, Leoric wasn't aware of the logistical problems of having a throne in a airship that spent most of its time far off the ground.His servants did try to help as they posted 2 regal looking skeleton guards outside of that cargo room, clad in rusted plate and battleaxes to feed their King's ego and desire for regal legitimacy.

Rising Dawn Brig: The Former Bernstein Cartel

"98-....99-.....ngg-...1-....100!" Cortex gasped as he attempted to try this fancy new workout program one of the guards had given him to pass the time.Laying in a pool of his own sweat, he panted from exertion as he rolled onto this back and say "Ah...ahhh...I'll be throwing cars at people yet!...ha...Woooo!"Life behind bars was proving to be both more and less excitement for our Villains then they were expecting.Doom was going though one of his breakfast yogurts, Wesker was reading a rather informative book on the latest in cell augmentation treatments, Cortex was cleaning himself off with a wet towel, Bison was reading a broadsheet for the political opinion pieces and Bruiser was silently meditating and whispering prayers to himself (Albeit while doing one armed push ups in the process)."Heh, check this out. "Traitor Senator Steven Armstrong Found Dead". Someone finally finished the job after he escaped the city. And better yet, everyone's blaming him for the shitshow in Denver!" Bison gleefully smiled as if this news would make them any less likely to be sentenced to life."I promised myself I wouldn't find pleasure in another's death again...but I won't weep for his passing.""Suppose all that money of his didn't count for much once word got out about his prison. Even if he could get past the Government, I can't imagine him finding any place in the world where he'd be safe after all that.""Looks like we got the last laugh, eh guys!?......Eh?.....Eh?...."

An uneasy silence filled the brig as everyone in it refused to humor their friend who, to be clear, was the main reason they were all behind bars once more."So...Is he "Never found the body" dead or "Dead!Dead"? Because if there isn't a body, it doesn't count.""Bah, Doom thinks it's all bullshit. If that Hank Hill motherfucker could afford everything else he was throwing at us, who's to say he doesn't have a clone or a spare body he could activate?" Doom barked from the bottom of his Yogurt cup, his sobering realization brining much unease to his comrades.Least before he rattled his cup against the bars and shouted "HEY! DOOM NEEDS MORE YOGURT IN HERE!"

Kalastryn woke from her slumber feeling like she'd been hit by a truck. Not too terribly inaccurate, the last thing she could remember, she was impaled by an iron pipe and losing consciousness. Still, she felt like she'd blacked out rather than fallen asleep. It was like she had rested for nearly a year in the span of a night, which is to say that with their tasks in Denver completed, she felt relieved beyond compare. "About damn time they picked up and left." She mused aloud, taking her spellbook and looking over her room. She remembered rearranging the furniture a bit in case Miia would like to stay with her, and genuinely looked forward to giving her a few classes on how enchantment magics work and how she might be capable of using them... but first thing was first, she wanted to go to check up on Jenny, and see that she was alright after her recent ordeals. Bumping into her in the hall, seemingly no worse for wear, she sighed. "Well doc, you sure are a fast healer. I never really did get the chance to catch up on how you felt after... all that happened." she said, recalling their encounter on the rooftops of Denver. "And for what it's worth, just wanted to say you're probably the toughest psion I've ever met, so I'm not too surprised you're up and about. But truly, are you okay?" She asked. After how trying the rest of these past weeks had been, she was glad to finally be finished with it.

Elsewhere, ARES was pretty much motionless as she had uploaded herself to the ship over the previous night. Within the cyberspace of the Dawn's computers, she went to talk to Viscus of all... people? "I hope that I am not interrupting, Viscus. However, I thought it necessary to express my gratitude over our cooperative efforts in days prior. Have I heard you correctly, that Mr. Bernstein has been re-designated due to system error?" she asked.

'What the?' Hillary thought as she became aware of herself. She was in a hallway of some sort? It was hard to tell with her limited vision as a puddle.

As Hillary slowly compiled herself, her form gradually becoming more humanoid as a torso formed, it pivoted down to look at an object on the ground. It was her figurine! Why was it on the ground!? Leaning down a bit more, the pseudopod forming her torso extended from the top reaching downwards as its drippy form enveloped the figurine. Lifting it up, Hillary's features became more visible, her arms separated from her torso fully, her pseudopod split as her legs solidified below her and her head lulled back as the weight of her hair dragged it back.

Pulling her head forward, she spun the figurine in her newly formed hands. Looking at the three on its base. The small Slime at its center, with a blindfolded teenager to the one side which an older woman of medetaranian descent on the other. They looked quite happy together, like a family photo made into a 3D model.

And as her formation finalized with her eyes and vocal sack, she let out a sigh of relief as she confirmed it hadn't been damaged. "That is a relief, how clumsy of Hillary to have a nap in the middle of a hallway." She said as she looked around at the surrounding area. She wasn't in the Hero's lounge area, nor the hangars, nor the brigs, or the lounge. She was somewhere in the inner networks of the Dawn, rather lost and alone. "Although... this... doesn't look like the Laplace? This looks like..."

"O-Oh dear." Hillary exclaimed as she looked this way and that. "H-Hello? Can someone hear me? Hillary would love to hear from someone because I think Hillary got lost again?" The matte'd light grey woman called out, her hair was angular yet smooth, wearing no clothing but still meeting the classification of nude. "HELLO?!"

"H-Hello? Can someone hear me? Hillary would love to hear from someone because I think Hillary got lost again?" The matte'd light grey woman called out, her hair was angular yet smooth, wearing no clothing but still meeting the classification of nude. "HELLO?!"

While she was attempting to extend an olive branch of a sort to Viscus, while turning to look through the security cameras as she heard what sounded like a call for help from someone lost in the Dawn (an understandable predicament, as attached as she'd become to the airship- literally at this point, it was fairly labyrinthine. "Hold that thought a moment." ARES said as she activated the intercom for that area. "Greetings Hillary. You require assistance?" she asked, turning to Viscus again as she affirmed her intentions. "Do not think I have forgotten your previous actions, but as current you are in the employ of Captain Bernstein, or I suppose at current, acting Captain "Mio?" I thought we might leave these as "water under the bridge" as some would say. My previous reception to your aid was needlessly coarse, and I would simply inform you that I will provide no further obstruction to you."

Never a day goes by when it isn't crowded in Athens, the capital and heart of Greece. The city within grows ever larger, history of it's ancient and powerful empire is still well known today, and most importantly ... it is here, that the Temple of Zeus still stands.

The shadows stretched out from every pillar, lining up with the eyes until the sun greeted you on the other side every time. It almost felt cinematic being here, going down the pathway towards the ruins of a once, respected temple that honored the god of all gods. While this may be what people came here for ... a lot more came for one particular reason, or more specifically, one particular person.

"Is it true papa?" The father paused, despite people were trying to get around the man. His wife alongside him, also paused to see what their daughter had to say. She was sitting on the man's shoulders, each leg hanging off the sides of his neck. "Yes Heather?"

"Just what daddy?" She asked, a look of confusion present on her face, the mother cutting in. "It could be, a way to make tourists, like ourselves, come here to check it out. We've already went over this honey, it's likely just a robot."

"... Awwwww ..." She groaned, slumping a little as the dad gave a small scorned look at his wife, before trying to uplift her spirit. "Heeeey now, if it's gaining this much attention, it can't be just some robot. We won't know until we see this centaur for ourselves." Shifting his shoulders to position his beloved little girl properly; they continued walking down, all while the husband and wife secretly exchanging whispers as the daughter was too distracted by the beauty this place bore.

"Bet you $20 it's some lady resting in a hole within the horse's neck gap. Likely a statue or prop."

"I wager it's a hologram ... we live in the future where anything's possible now."

Eventually, the family came upon the temple itself, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. However, no one's eyes were drawn on this fallen place of worship. Rather, a large gathering was around a certain individual whom stood in the center of it all. The father tried his best to scoot along the masses, ensuring his daughter could get a better look. So much talking, shouting, laughter- all of it booming in their eardrums. The wife looked displeased with this, but their curiosity (and wanting to make their daughter happy) made them advance forward. Finally, they got to the front and all three got to see it for themselves.

It was, almost unreal to them. The figurine was perfectly in tact, nothing about it seemed fake whatsoever. While the horse legs were moving about and the tail swiftly swaying side to side, the upper torso was that of a human's, connected with no seams of any kind. In fact, her height must of been at least over 200 centimeters tall. A staggering 6.9 feet tall, the girl's stomach and arms being even beefier than the man standing there feeling struck with disbelief.

She was speaking in Greek, exchanging that old tongue with the common folk, smiling at them as they 'argued' with her back. The family had no clue whether it was them questioning her existence, begging for an autograph, or wanting to ride her, it could of been anything. Her eyes scanned the circle that surrounded her, looking all so pleased to have their company. The daughter on the father's shoulders started to kick a little, a small cry of glee escaped her lips. "Look daddy! I told you, it's a cen-tarrrr!! C-can I pet her? Pleassseeee?"

"... Ah." He snapped out of his gaze before looking up to his now lively daughter. "... O-of course! Don't know how we'll get her attention though, she ... seems awfully busy-"

Suddenly, the dad jolted when he heard her voice loud and clear, realizing she was now directly looking at him (well, down on him) with a gentle smile. The daughter giggled, clapping her hands as the father had been caught with no words to say. "Uuuuhhhhh .. .. . h ... hey there, yooou."

She tilted her head, before picking up on the language and with that, begun speaking English. "Are you guys American Tourists? If so, welcome to Greece!" The wife was just as baffled, if not taken out of this before both parents slowly turned to one another. Turns out, this was a real talking centaur. However, the dad couldn't help but actually speak his mind here. ". .. So, are ... you really a centaur? ... .. Is this for real?"

She took a few paces back, before placing both hands behind her head, lifting one horse leg, and giving a huge smile to match her pose. "A centaur in the flesh! But, you can just call me Alexandra instead."

"Greetings Hillary. You require assistance?" Hillary quickly looked around at the bodiless voice, initially looking quite thrilled only for it to become more sour when she saw no one around her. "Y-Yes! Hillary woke up in... this place. And it doesn't look like the Laplace! I think Hillary's somewhere on the Rising Dawn, but not sure where. Could you help Hillary get out of here please?" She asked, oddly sounding more distressed than you'd imagine someone in her situation being. Her blank eyes hid some of her anxiousness, but the way she held herself close was worrisome.

She wasn't picked up on a few of the scanners, the thermal scans specifically, as if she was the same temperature of the room itself.

"Y-Yes! Hillary woke up in... this place. And it doesn't look like the Laplace! I think Hillary's somewhere on the Rising Dawn, but not sure where. Could you help Hillary get out of here please?" She asked, oddly sounding more distressed than you'd imagine someone in her situation being. Her blank eyes hid some of her anxiousness, but the way she held herself close was worrisome.

She wasn't picked up on a few of the scanners, the thermal scans specifically, as if she was the same temperature of the room itself.

ARES was curious about this, as she was curious about the entirety of her appearance through the security camera. Still, she was at least attempting to be helpful. "I would be happy to help you navigate outside, however, that is not advisable considering that the Rising Dawn is currently in flight. That being said, while he has an urgent matter to attend to, I might be able to assist you in greeting our captain, and he could likely arrange for you to disembark. Please, remain where you are and I will be along to guide you shortly." ARES said, shrugging to Viscus. "Well... I'll return later I suppose." before her projection in cyberspace faded out, uploading back into her body and walking to collect the sentient slime. Rounding the corner, the heavily armored robot greeted her with a wave. "Now then, if you'd follow me, we can probably go find Captain Bernstein." She offered with a smile, using the map of the airship she had just been observing as reference to where to go, having a sight better chance of finding the captain.

Time had passed, and in Greece ... it goes ever so slowly. Because you see, in this country, no one's ever in a rush. There's even a saying when people express the term 'in Greece time' because if you say you'll meet someone in 15 minutes, what you really mean is in 30-45 in Greek time. Alexandra, despite she wanted to go on the move, would never be so rude to her people (and even the tourists) whom wanted to visit her. When it normally would of taken her twenty minutes to reach the city, it nearly took her over an hour and a half because she wanted to spend time with the community at the temple. She eventually did managed to enter the city, but not without a large sum of people tagging right behind her. Cameras flashing, loud voices in multiple languages (mostly Greek) and cars driving by slowly to catch sight of the centaur.

On her back, the little girl was sitting on her horseback, having the time of her life. The parents stood to Alexandra's right side, silently walking with her heads filled with a thousand questions as everyone else was speaking with Alexandra, so much chattering that it may of been a little much for most people to tolerate in such tight spaces. Eventually, they did reach a small restaurant that Alexandra couldn't help but notice, before prancing on over to a table. Those sitting at the tables all stopped eating, eyes drawn to the mythical creature as she pulled a chair out, and ... just stood there? To be fair, there's no way any of those chairs could support Alexandra's weight. Even if they somehow magically could, a centaur sitting in a chair would be, very uncomfortable.

For anyone trying to get by in this single pathway up the stairs, they'd be out of luck. It was so crowded, all Alexandra could see was a sea of people's heads below her view. Poor waiter, he was trying so hard to get around without dropping the ordered food. It took roughly a dozen minutes just for the man to finally get in, panting as he adjusted his suit.

The parents couldn't understand what they were saying to one another, it was in Greek. Seemed simple enough, before she turned to face them after the waiter tried pushing past the crowd once more. "You two look tired. Please, have a seat! I'll even pay for your meals! I'll pay for everyone here if they wish to feast!" She repeated those words, but now translating them to her people, all in which a booming roar from the masses caused the parents to cover their ears. Laughing, the centaur folded her hands as the daughter hugged her backside, with a big grin. "Can we keep her daddy?! She's soooooo cool!!"

". .. .. Sweetie ..." He groaned, as the wife shook her head as a natural response to their daughter's odd request.

As they got seated, the waiter in no time came back with a tray of three burritos ... except with closer inspection, they were far from that. The tortillas were filled with mushrooms, green bell peppers, butternut squashes, zucchinis, and other ingredients. It also included fries within too. Noticing their curious looks at her order, she asked them, "Never had Vegetarian Souvlaki before?"

".. Looks good at least." The dad admitted, though he was just really out of it taking in the reality a real life centaur was right before them. She grabbed one of them and started to hand it to the wife, in which she responded by placing her palm out with all five fingers, "I'm good, thanks." However, the crowd grew quiet and stared at the wife, faces looking rather upset by this action. Alexandra came to the rescue though, speaking Greek to them that she doesn't know better, before explaining to the wife, "You meant well, but what you just did is the moutza."

"T-the what now?" She asked, taking her hand back with utter concern and confusion.

"When you extend your palm out, to you Americans, you mean it in saying 'stop' or 'no'. But here, that's giving us Greeks the middle finger." Despite she was smiling, the wife grew horrified and began apologizing right away, afraid she had committed the worst possible sin. Alexandra was not offended in the slightest, even laughing before placing a hand on her shoulder. "In Greek, the citizens are very aware of the American people having different ways of saying things. You didn't know, it is okay! I- Ahhh! The food arrives!!" All heads turned to the waiters and waitresses, all carrying massive trays of food, allowing everyone in reach to grab food off of them. They didn't even stop, they kept walking through as anyone could grab a meal off the huge circular food trays, a walk by buffet!

The parents understood that the money here consisted of Euros, not dollars, but even still- this was going to cost Alexandra a small fortune for all these meals! "There's no hospitality like the Greeks! We feed you until you blow up, and then feed you some more until you blow up again~" She teased, before taking her Souvlaki and biting more than half of it off, her mouth stuffed, cheeks extended. She swallowed it whole, with ease. She slid the rest into her mouth no problem, and chewed for some seconds before gulping it down, which most people could not do in that amount of time without choking. The parents began to try getting some food to show respect, before slowly eating away, mixed emotions flourishing through their faces as they try to 'enjoy' the food provided for them.

"And for what it's worth, just wanted to say you're probably the toughest psion I've ever met, so I'm not too surprised you're up and about. But truly, are you okay?"

Jenny seemed to freeze for a moment as Kala talked to her, her expression-...glitching almost between a smile and a frown."I-...I-......*Sigh* ....I was hoping I could-....Here, let me show you..." She grimly said before her form started to flicker and the true nature of her condition was revealed.Hiding behind a psionic projection, it faded as her body showed several bandages, medical equipment around her midsection and the side of her head as well as an IV grip feeding into her arm, looking more like some cyberpunk frankenstein.Her prideful waltz turned to a slight limp as she seemed rather embarrassed by her current state, a patchwork thanks to the malice of World Marshall's cybernetics program.

"...My recovery is going well, though...it's not as easy to use my powers of projection as it once was. The hard part about removing Cybernetics is helping the body heal back the body mass it loss while at the same time preventing infections from the metal parts still lodged inside. They weren't designed to be removed or disconnected from each other. Most likely an insurance policy. But for now, I'd rather not think about it. I'm just thankful I was able to disconnect some of my pain receptors from the rest of my nervous system, otherwise I'd need be so sedated I'd barely be able to think." She grimly explained before slowly letting her projection return, masking her true state once again behind her "Normal" appearance, the perks of being Psychic."But I'll manage. I've gotten a lot better at Recovering from such events. Another few days with the medical team and I'll be fit as a fiddle. Hell, as strange as it might sound, I actually kinda prefer this bout to some of the others I've had over the years. My only regret was not learning how to turn off the mind's ability to feel pain sooner. God, that would have made some of my other Recovery's soooooooo much easier..." She smiled warmly before resuming her walk with Kala in tow."And yourself? Been a while since I was able to check up on you. Trying to catch up on my patient backlog right now actually. I know, I know, I should be resting but I'm very committed to the mental health of others..."

Viscus

The Cyberspace for the systems that Viscus controlled was more-...barren and dark then the rest of it, largely because the AI didn't see the point in prettying the place up.So long as he was able to perform his functions, that was what mattered.[Your observation is noted. The error must have occurred mid-systems reboot. I would have resolved the error but it would require a administrative order from the Acting Captain. Until that order has been given, Mio is considered to be the Captain of this vessel and has all the permissions that role entails. User: Rugal Bernstein has been dispatched to obtain this order...or at least attempt to. I care little so long as ship system operations are maintained.] He droned back at her without so much as looking away from his work.[If that is all you wish to discuss, I will ask that you terminate this conversation and let me resume system diagnostics.] He coldly added, a reminder that his social graces were clearly in need of an upgrade.

[If that is all you wish to discuss, I will ask that you terminate this conversation and let me resume system diagnostics.] He coldly added, a reminder that his social graces were clearly in need of an upgrade.

ARES

ARES didn't mind his cold demeanor. She would not say so to his face as there was little point in being so overtly hostile or self aggrandizing, but most machines were not designed to be capable of sentience. Intelligence? Absolutely, but not sentience to the degree of a person. As such, she did not take his insult to heart as she already had intended to leave the cyberspace and assist Hillary in trying to find a way off the ship. Still, she had seen herself out. Standing now in front of the slime, she also offered. "If he's unreachable at current, I could take you to the canteen, let you socialize a bit while you wait?" she suggested.

Kalastryn

Her look soured a bit as Jenny revealed her true condition. Still, she tried to be comforting at least. "Hey, it's not... well it's not so bad. I'm just glad that you survived. As for my mental state... well, I have a lot to think about. More on my mind than most of the time." she confessed. "It's... difficult to know where to start. But, I suppose it just feels like I have to do more of... everything." she sighed, pulling out her spellbook. "For example, I've felt like I have to pass on my knowledge for a long time. Effective immortality felt exhilarating at first, but it made me realize how... lonesome it is going to be. I've wanted to take a student for a long time even before then, and I'll be honest, I sort of... settled, when it came to finding one. I don't think Miia is without potential... but I'll have my work cut out for me teaching her. Just another chore on the pile though... feels like I've completely forgotten how to relax."

ARES was curious about this, as she was curious about the entirety of her appearance through the security camera. Still, she was at least attempting to be helpful. "I would be happy to help you navigate outside, however, that is not advisable considering that the Rising Dawn is currently in flight. That being said, while he has an urgent matter to attend to, I might be able to assist you in greeting our captain, and he could likely arrange for you to disembark. Please, remain where you are and I will be along to guide you shortly." ARES said, shrugging to Viscus. "Well... I'll return later I suppose." before her projection in cyberspace faded out, uploading back into her body and walking to collect the sentient slime. Rounding the corner, the heavily armored robot greeted her with a wave. "Now then, if you'd follow me, we can probably go find Captain Bernstein." She offered with a smile, using the map of the airship she had just been observing as reference to where to go, having a sight better chance of finding the captain.

The meeting with the Slime was a tad bit different than what ARES had likely expected. In her time, she likely had met a great deal many people with interesting personalities. Many likely had misgivings about her titanic form of metal and wires, but as the woman made of the floor itself looked up at her, what she saw back the briefest moment of curiosity. It was brief as the instant ARES uttered a single note, Hillary's anxious face was washed away to one of pure relief. The Slime stood up and walked, not ran, as fast as she could to ARES' side, hugging whatever part was most available at the time; be it her foot, leg or side. "I would like Hillary to go see anyone right now, yes. Mr. Rugal or otherwise." She nodded, clinging to ARES.

This Hillary was a strange one, the time it took couldn't have been that long and yet she was acting like she'd been isolated for far far longer. Still, what likely caught ARES' eye wasn't Hillary's pitiable display, but the sudden change in her appearance as she hugged the machine! Gone was the grey colour of the flooring of this hallway, and in its place was the sleek metallic finish of ARES' hull. Even the paint job was practically identical, yet Hillary still largely kept her shape, albeit with some minor alterations. If ARES had the means to scan the matter that made up Hillary, she'd find it virtually identical as well.

And yet Hillary didn't pay any mind as her body changed to adopt its new form and instead continued to hold ARES. "Thank you for coming to get me."

"Remember, it's very hot in the lands of Greece. Make sure to be wearing a hat, use plenty of sunblock, and drink plenty of water!"

At this rate, Alexandra was walking through the Plaka Distract, well known for being the best place to shop for tourists. Normally, the centaur would not bother coming through here despite enjoying the view, but due to the American tourists along a handful of others not too far behind, she figured it would be for the best. Heck, it was a bit fun playing the role of a Tour Guide, all while allowing at least seven children to ride her; the centaur ensuring each of them were well seated. Besides, she enjoyed their laughter and playful 'giddy ups' or 'faster' now and again.

The dad began to cough a little, quite a lot of people walking about smoking. Alexandra leaned over, giving him a heads up. "No matter how much I love Greece, we do have our faults. For one, everyone's likely to smoke."

"Gghhrr, y-yea i've noticed." He coughed once more, the wife unable to stop waving her hand to 'shake off' the smoke that lingered in the air, tickling her nostrils. "And the crowd following you, they keep shouting in our ears. Are they anger with you?"

"Not at all, they're happily chattering with one another and at me. Tourists tend to believe Greeks constantly argue, but that's not the case. It's just how we talk! Sometimes people think i'm arguing as well, but it's just me being engaged with the topic with a passion."

Many heads turned to see the centaur leading the pack of people, some chose to join, others watched from afar. Teens and young adults grew excited, flipping out their IPhones to record, one even began to use a webcam to 'Stream' the moment on their laptop. Alexandra didn't mind at all, all she cared about was the children's safety and giving the followers a good time, maybe even something to remember for years to come.

The dad brought out his credit card, looking around since his wife was beginning to look quite bothered with the heat. "Hey hon, let me go get you a water or something. I'll be righ-"

"Is that a credit card? Just so you're aware, a lot of Greeks here only accept cash, and nearly all accept Euros."

"Of course they do .." He sighed, tucking his credit card away but out of surprise, one of the men following behind handed him a sealed water bottle. He must of understood English to of just given him the drink, in which the father slowly accepted before saying ".. T-thank you sir." He handed it to his wife, in which she swept away, popped the cap off, right before splashing some water against her face, not even caring if her makeup gets ruined. As they continued onward, people were passing by them, shoulder to shoulder. Even as some paused midway to glance at Alexandra or purposely stood in front to get a good view, she did not mind it. One fellow bumped into the father, making the tourist turn to the stranger with the typical "Oh i'm so sorry! Excuse me!", but before the guy could advance further, he was out of nowhere, lifted off the ground? Alexandra held him by the back of his hood, like you would hold a cat by their fur- the guy froze with shock. Rolling her eyes, she used the other hand to grab something from the man's grip and offered it to the father. As the husband examined it closely, it was his own wallet. ".. Wait, is that my .."

"Pickpockets are not too common, but ... his sweater in this type of weather gave it away."

The crowed gathered, booing at the thief as they began slapping him (not too harshly but) with the criminal trying to defend himself, causing Alexandra to speak out in Greek, making them stop the assault as she placed the man down gently. She told him something in their language, and with a quick nod, the stranger jolted away in shame. "In broad daylight too. The nerve of some people."

The kids on her back all clapped, celebrating her heroism, even the daughter was jumping up and down in her seat. "Ahhh dad! She stopped the baddie from taking your money!"

". .. . . Why yes she did." He admitted, looking up to Alexandra, whom felt sheepish with such attention being bestowed onto her. "Anyone can be a hero guys; if they're willing to help others. It's really that simple."

"Think nothing of it," ARES said, mildly put off by her clingy behavior, but not so much that she thought to mention it. The added weight from Hillary copying her armor's material however, was enough to cause her to lean, struggling under her unintentional grapple as the slime became a highly dense reinforced steel, the metal floor under the combined weight of the pair groaning as though it were about ready to sink in on itself. "... That being said, I find your ability to change your form intriguing, but I must ask you not do so for now. I'm quite heavy enough as it is." She said, waiting for the slime to let go before leading her to the canteen.

"Beautiful, isn't it? ..." Alexandra smiled as she glanced across the roof towards The Parthenon, the temple devoted to Athena herself. Having some Greek coffee, she sipped it to savor the flavor, since her taste buds were far more sensitive than humans (the average person has a total of 10,000 taste buds, while a centaur is known to have 2x that, being roughly 30,000 instead). The old man nodded, grooming his beard as he enjoyed the view, the sun reaching it's highest peak in the sky, coating the entire landscape with such brilliant light. To her, this was indeed an amazing day she's had.

As for what happened to the crowd of people that was following her? She bid them farewell as she headed off to this very home, all while giving everyone group hugs in hopes she had made a difference in their lives, even if it was a fraction of a difference, in some manner, Alexandra hoped it was a positive impact.

"It sure is, Alexandra. Never a day goes by that I don't come up here just to appreciate the beauty given to us by mother nature, and those who've passed away." Felipe stated as the both of them were having a conversation in Greek. You see, Felipe is a retired plumber, enjoying his last years in this peaceful retirement of his whom hasn't seen Alexandra in ages. The last time they met, was overseas ... which is a rather long story. Let's just say, Alexandra considers Felipe to be one of her very few good friends in all of Greece.

"Tell me, my friend ... what are your plans now?"

".. I, haven't really decided yet. I wanted to remain here for at least one more week, if not just one more day ... before heading out into the new world."

"Being a guardian of man is in your blood, after all. I don't blame you for wanting to enjoy your time here before exploring other countries in pursuit of making life a better place for everyone."

Her vision had some water forming from the bottom view, so she quickly blinked before continuing to not break her smile. "... You know me all too well, Felipe. Truth be told, I feel the moment I step out of Greece ... i'm going to immediately be homesick."

The old man began to chuckle, patting his lap before raising his cup to Alexandra, informing her, "My girl, you'll recover. Soon, the sights that you'll see and the goal you'll be trying to meet, will distract you long enough. Being honest, I believe if you were to continue being a tourist attraction, it'll eventually drive you mad."

"Maybe, but I believe standing by the sidelines as the world continues facing country-threat levels is going to be the real reason I start pulling my hair out." She began swirling her finger into the cup, the fumes coming off the liquid still rising into the centaur's face. Alexandra stared into her own reflection, wondering if she will be able to make a difference for others. Felipe could tell she was bothered, so he leaned forward before placing a hand onto Alexandra's shoulder, him being on a chair while the centaur laid on the floor like a horse would, each leg folded inward.

"Do not worry about the "what ifs", for if you were to have that mind set, you may start doubting yourself. Test yourself against all odds, and you will see ... just how far you can go." Alexandra shed a single tear, before Felipe wiped her tear away. "Now, now. Don't go getting emotional again, you haven't even begun your journey yet! Save it for when it really counts."

"It's tears of joy for having such a wonderful person like you in my life Felipe."

"Is it now? ..." He smirked, before patting her head like one would with their daughter, at least he considered her family so it was nothing strange to Alexandra. Sitting back in his chair, he took another sip with his smile slowly fading. ". . .. Do promise me this, that you won't forget about me. Would break an old man's heart if you don't pay a visit after you ..."

"Of course Felipe! After all we've been through, there's no doubt in my heart I would ever forget your face!"

His smile returned, making him look down sheepishly as he took it well enough. "Good, good. And Alexandra, do not worry ... you *will* be the hero we all need in due time. Even if the sky turns red, the cities begin to crumble, and all hope is lost- it isn't truly over until you give in to that despair. Being a hero is more than just 'protecting the innocent' Alexandra, it is ... so much more, dear girl. Even going out of your way to show you care about a small problem can shape someone's future in the long run."

"Like how you've saved my mother after she gave me life?" She winked, Felipe couldn't help but grin like an idiot to that remark. "Yes, yes. It was nothing really. I'm sure if anyone else was there at the time of you being brought into this world, they would of done the same. It so happened I was there, and the rest ... is history." Alexandra in return, gave him a gentle smile as she raised her glass, tipping it to his as both of them celebrated their last reunion before the centaur would take her leave the next morning.

Present Day:

Greece: AthensTime: 10 AM

Using her IPhone, she took several photos as the camera rapidly fired flash after flash, and as a result, the flashes made her eyes appear to be soul piercing, but Alexandra felt it wouldn't matter since she wasn't trying to get perfect shots of herself, so she didn't bother trying to take anymore pictures.

Looking down on her personal device as she started uploading her favorite take to Instagram, she began talking to herself, "I'll call this picture ... Day 1: Goodbye Greece! Hello America!. Yea, that sounds about right."

Kalastryn:"Think nothing of it," ARES said, mildly put off by her clingy behavior, but not so much that she thought to mention it. The added weight from Hillary copying her armor's material however, was enough to cause her to lean, struggling under her unintentional grapple as the slime became a highly dense reinforced steel, the metal floor under the combined weight of the pair groaning as though it were about ready to sink in on itself. "... That being said, I find your ability to change your form intriguing, but I must ask you not do so for now. I'm quite heavy enough as it is." She said, waiting for the slime to let go before leading her to the canteen.

It took Hillary a good second to recognize what was happening and what ARES had asked of her, had she not heard her? Initially she didn't let go, simply turning her head to look down at the floor. "Huh..? Oh no." Hillary said, breaking the hug yet still keeping a hand on her. Her body quickly shifted back to the grey floor below them, the material crawling up her legs first. "Sorry, Hillary didn't mean to ruin your floor. Hillary wasn't thinking. I'm sorry." She said with a genuine sincerity as she looked between the dented floor and ARES' face. "But, Hillary hasn't met you before? What's your name? My name is Hillary!" The Slime introduced herself, despite literally saying her name multiple times prior.

"Actually, if you have light junk, Hillary could hold onto that so she doesn't hurt the floor again?" She requested, unsure if ARES had anything like a piece of paper or some wood or a paper clip. That way she wouldn't have to worry about focusing on the floor as they walked.

The first footfall after planeswalking was always difficult. Latte was swimming through shadows, following the subtle eddies of multiple aetherwakes. Echoes of other travelers rippled back and forth between the shifting boundaries of eternity. Latte had been trying to triangulate the location of this particular world ever since the phenomena a week prior. The event had rippled out to nearly every other world in the multiverse and set planeswalkers of all walks of life alight with chatter. An energetic discharge of unprecedented scale - as if a world had suddenly been snapped back into existence after a prolonged absence. Latte had made it her mission to find out what had happened ever since she first heard the excited rumors among her fellow travelers.

She took another step through Eternity, sliding pass a large wall of surging aetherial energy. By the depth of the aetherwakes, she was one of a great many with such plans.

The echoes of the other travelers were converging now. The space between aetherwakes tightened and the interference between each of their unique planeswalking styles began to ebb. Then suddenly she felt her feet hit solid ground.

Latte stumbled into a bright, hot, and terribly humid world. She steadied herself, reaching out instinctively with her hands to stabilize herself. She caught a hot, hard surface and grabbed firmly. Her body came to an abrupt stop. She took a deep breath. Her eyes adjusted to the bright light of the native star.

The world was dotted with stone buildings, layers of white and blue stacked upon hot dirt hills filled with shrubs and grasses. She let go of the stone she was holding onto. It was a block of marble, grey and faded. It was so old.

Latte's desert garbs served her well in the heat, but the wetness of the air immediately made her skin itch. It was sticky and hot and each breath she took filled her lungs with hot, heavy air. She grimaced.

She reached back into the Blind Eternities and pulled the image of one of her lands into her mind's eye. The islands of that faraway plane grew closer and closer in the shifting nature of Eternity until it was finally close enough to link. Latte gave it one last tug before the link manifested and she could feel the aether flow into her body from the worldsoul that governed those islands.

The zephyr gull manifested before her out of the streams of blue aether. Through the eyes of her summon, she could see the world around her clearly.

"Go!" Latte commanded as she gave the bird the push it needed to catch the thermals rising over the city. Everything seemed normal enough. Though, the level of advancement of the artificers on this world seemed to be quite advanced. Good artificers meant good artifacts, and good artifacts were always valuable targets.

The people of this world seemed to be exclusively human. Latte frowned. Human-abundant worlds always meant one of two things, either they were lacking in aether, which in turn decreased the likelihood of valuable artifacts on the plane, or that the world had experienced some sort of human-supremacy purge of the mythical, which would prove hostile to a spellcaster such as herself. As she was mulling it over in her head, her gull familiar spotted something particular in the crowds... or rather, someone particular.

A centaur.

Latte didn't regularly like to converse with centaurs, the nature-loving druid pain-in-the-ass that they were on most worlds, but given the look of the other denizens, the nature-loving druid pain-in-the-ass centaurs might actually be the better party to entreat. Latte looked up at the blue sky, squinting against the glare of the sun off of the wispy white clouds. Especially if even a fraction of the owners of those aetherwakes made it in.

She called upon the energies stored within her amulet and summoned forth the energetic forces of fire and spend off toward the centaur.

---

"Hey!" Latte called out to Alexandra as she approached over the rooftops of the stone buildings. "Wait up, I've got things I need to ask you!" The zephyr gull swooped down next to Alexandra, perching on at the edge of a veranda.

Latte landed not much farther away, the crackling lightning of her footsteps faded away as soon as she stopped.

"Centaur lady," Latte said, "can you assist me? I am lost and under 'special' circumstances. I am not from Hellenes." Latte's Greek was... not great, but it was understandable at the very least. She had pulled the knowledge of the language out of a passing's local's mind with a simple copy spell, but her mouth was still unused to to fluid motions required in the tongue.

While it would be a ways to go, Alexandra walked the crowded streets towards the Athens International Airport. She certainly could of went for a cruise instead, but she figured it would be wiser taking flight instead, since those tend to be a lot faster, and sometimes even cheaper. Eventually she did take a brief break, wanting to enjoy the view of those ancient temples in the background.

".. .. . That reminds me. Before I head off into America, I should know what's going on there. Politics and news are bound to be brought up in a conversation, so I should keep myself up to date." Whipping out her IPhone, she went to Youtube for a recent news video (I mean who watches TV and cable these days? Don't answer that.)

".. Wait, this isn't a youtube video. It's a live stream with an abnormal amount of viewers. Did something big happen?" Alexandra confessed, knowing full well streams like these aren't usually this big unless something serious took place. She immediately entered the live stream, waiting for it to properly buffer. Her eyes were glued to the little screen with such curiosity.

The stream ended there, as hundreds of comments overflowed in the right-hand side of the screen, going so fast there was no possible way to read each line. It was a blur, and many, and I mean MANY emojis being spammed alongside the comments.

Putting her IPhone back into her side pouch on the red silken saddle, Alexandra couldn't help but think aloud, "It's worse than I thought. Here I am, thinking maybe some political issues were stirring up my neighboring countries, but mind control schemes? A massive attack on Denver that was filled with so many innocents?

... It feels like this is fate, that my gut instinct to head off to America was right. I must go there at once." Now Alexandra began to power walk, which isn't a normal thing to do here since no one's ever in a rush. But, this was different.

"Hey!" Latte called out to Alexandra as she approached over the rooftops of the stone buildings. The centaur sharply turned her head to look up, seeing what appeared to be a blonde girl calling out to her. "Wait up, I've got things I need to ask you!" The zephyr gull swooped down next to Alexandra, perching on at the edge of a veranda.

Her eyes darted to the very unnatural looking bird, then back at the mysterious girl with a confused expression. Even the nearby passengers and civilians stopped to look at the sight, some whispering to one another, others cautiously aware this could mean trouble. In either case, most stopped to see what was happening.

Latte landed not much farther away, the crackling lightning of her footsteps faded away as soon as she stopped. This was the eye opener for Alexandra, now realizing she wasn't dealing with an ordinary girl. Rarely, if ever, has she seen magic like this before, and it wasn't something to take lightly. So many questions began pouring into her head now.

"Centaur lady," Latte said, "can you assist me? I am lost and under 'special' circumstances. I am not from Hellenes." Latte's Greek was... not great, but it was understandable at the very least. She had pulled the knowledge of the language out of a passing's local's mind with a simple copy spell, but her mouth was still unused to to fluid motions required in the tongue.

.. Her Greek isn't fluent .. she's likely not from here. I'm not sensing any hostility, so I feel it'll be okay to talk here. The moment she wants to start trouble, i'll move, away from the people.

"Are you more familiar with the English language? I am good at speaking it, if you'd rather communicate that way." She said in English, then in Greek, just in case. Still, Alexandra was quite dumbfounded by this sudden approach from the girl and her (admittedly) majestic looking bird. Remembering to appear friendly and offer a smile, she did state, "And you said you're in need of some help? Before I willingly go along with your request, would you mind telling me ... who you might be?"

"Actually, if you have light junk, Hillary could hold onto that so she doesn't hurt the floor again?" She requested, unsure if ARES had anything like a piece of paper or some wood or a paper clip. That way she wouldn't have to worry about focusing on the floor as they walked.

ARES did not carry much of anything lighter than the steel armor she'd made, but Hillary didn't seem to be doing any damage to the floor while... being the floor- a concept which still somewhat confounded the construct. "I don't really have anything lighter I'm afraid, but you should be fine if you simply refrain from touching my armor. Once at the canteen, I'm sure you can find something suitable." she said, walking not far ahead of Hillary as she guided her there. "Oh, and I am ARES unit 35, though most just prefer ARES around here, given the lack of other units to distinguish me from. she explained as they set off.

Once arriving at the canteen, ARES took a seat at one of the nearby tables, offering Hillary a menu. "So- and this is just a wild guess here... so I guess you turn into what you touch? That seems... wildly unstable and difficult to deal with." she said, not even aware of Hillary's "normal" slime-like appearance due to her naturally having contact with the floor the entire time they were here.

Latte frowned and tried to discern the language that Alexandra had changed to. It was different from the smooth tongue of the Hellenes, more prone to full stops and strange fricatives. Though, she supposed, it was not unlike the human languages of Candor. "English..." Latte mimicked, tasting the syllables on her lips. She held out her hand and pulled what information she could on the language out of Alexandra's memories.

"Yes, English will do." Latte replied after a brief pause. This language was easier to enunciate, but was more irregular in its construction, lacking the normal conjugations she had come to expect from most tongues. "My name is Latte. I am from a place far away from here. Very far away, in fact. Though I do not believe that I will be the only of my kind travelling here today."

She paused. It was not advantageous to be truthful at this exact moment about the reason why she had come. It didn't sound to terribly appealing, even to herself, to say that she was here to steal any valuable spells or artifacts that might be laying around. To a centaur, whose kind was prone to being stalwart defenders of all things truth, justice, and all things foresty, it would be an even worse idea.

"I am looking for a group of exceptional individuals. People with powers like mine." Latte finally said after a moment of internal reflection. She had decided not to lie, in case the centaur was blessed with natural powers of empathetic scrying. "I collect things. Stories, trinkets, histories, records of remarkable people. Whatever I can get my hands on. I am here because something remarkable happened to this world recently. The echoes of that cataclysm still reverberate through worlds past the realm of your reality. I am most curious to discover the source of the event and any artifacts that might remain."

That was the pleasant sounding version of the truth, but the irrefutable truth.

"English..." As the blonde lass held out her hand, it wasn't clear as to what she was trying to do, making Alexandra wonder what she was trying to accomplish with this gesture. Almost as if she somehow 'grasped' the knowledge now, did she say, "Yes, English will do.""My name is Latte. I am from a place far away from here. Very far away, in fact. Though I do not believe that I will be the only of my kind travelling here today."

.. That's not a reference to Star Wars, was it? However, the centaur knew better than to assume Latte was trying to bring pop culture into this conversation. So with that, she stayed silent and allowed the stranger to express her reasons for being here.

"I am looking for a group of exceptional individuals. People with powers like mine." Latte finally said after a moment of internal reflection. She had decided not to lie, in case the centaur was blessed with natural powers of empathetic scrying. "I collect things. Stories, trinkets, histories, records of remarkable people. Whatever I can get my hands on. I am here because something remarkable happened to this world recently. The echoes of that cataclysm still reverberate through worlds past the realm of your reality. I am most curious to discover the source of the event and any artifacts that might remain." That was the pleasant sounding version of the truth, but the irrefutable truth.

"Sorry, i'm a bit lost here. Did you just say something happened to this world recently? And a realm that ..." She questioned, now her mind being puzzled with this strange bit of news. It almost sounded like superstition, if not something out of a long forgotten prophecy. ".. And did you also mention 'worlds' .. ?" She couldn't help but feel, conflicted. On one hand, she didn't think Latte was pulling her leg here, but on the other hand, this quickly went from 'hey lady, I need your help' escalating to 'universe levels of time and space collapsing on itself, worlds colliding, time overlapping through realms' in one sitting.

Bringing the side of her hand, cuffing it into a fist before softly coughing into it, Mmh Hhm., she began to recover from this 'mind shattering info' before briefly smiling again. "Well, in any case, it's .. . . ?" She heard a set of sirens in the distance, turning her head to see a vehicle stop a dozen feet away from them before multiple figurines stepped out of the car.

A few, at least five to six Hellenic Police officers came forth, walking up to both Alexandra and Latte. They didn't even pay attention to her bird, or maybe they did but kept their eyes peeled on the two.

(We were told that there was a disturbance in the area ...) One of the officers addressed, Alexandra remained calm with a gentle smile.

(I am sorry if we startled the public, but I assure you, there are no problems here. We can go somewhere else to carry on with our conversation.)

".. That won't be necessary." The other commented, this time in English. Indeed, the police here knew multiple languages, but their primary of the two were Greek, and English. "Some eye witnesses claiming that they saw what appeared to be a 'bolt of lightning' dashing through the roof tops, and some property damage with it." Alexandra couldn't help but look sheepish now, realizing her new 'friend' might of not realized these buildings were pretty old, so walking on them could cause some of the marble, or even wood within, to weaken and crumble. This in turn, led Alexandra to chuckle nervously.

"I'll, pay for everything that needs to be repaid. Sincerest apologies. Haha ..."

If there was one thing that Latte hated it was authority, especially the police, the symbol of government authority. As the men spoke to Alexandra, Latte was already nurturing the connection between this world and another one of the numerous lands that she had claimed in the multiverse. The image of tall rocky crags and hot winds grew in her mind. The electric energy of dry lightning storms rumbling over teetering peaks of a dragon-infested world. Then she pulled on the connection as their astral bodies drifted close to one another.

Latte tensed as she felt the sudden influx of red aether cascade into her body. Then, with the subtle movements of her fingers, she cast a simple enchantment on one of the officers. Their pockets grew heavy and suddenly the gold began to drop out of his vest and pants in an unending stream of coins. Soon the stream became a torrent, and a geyser of gold drachma rained down on the street.

"That will settle your damages several times over," Latte said brusquely. The gold was cursed and drew the ravenous greed out of the people who bore witness to it. In some time the gold would return to the aether from which it was drawn, but for now it was as real as any physical gold found on the plane. She turned away from the officers and offered her hand to Alexandra.

"Shall we go? Police are always corrupt no matter the time nor place. It is best not to be in their presence." Latte's eyes glowed blue as she began to channel the energies of her pendant and the islands that she had linked before. A bright portal began to open up behind her.

Once the gold began pouring into the streets, people from all around began to rush on over, collecting the coin like there was no tomorrow; even going so far as to fight one another despite there was plenty to go around. The other police officers immediately did their best to try assisting 'the vessel' from this fate, yet eventually they too, succumbed to the curse and began gathering as much gold to stuff their pockets, with greed in their eyes. Only one of them, apart from the unfortunate soul whom couldn't move because so much gold weighed him down- tried to get through the crowd of people, shouting at Alexandra and Latte with his gun drawn.

"Shall we go? Police are always corrupt no matter the time nor place. It is best not to be in their presence."

Alexandra was quite speechless, for she had never seen such a thing. She knew magic existed, and being able to create lightning or fire was one thing, but causing a person to become a human fountain of never ending coins flooding?

". .. . . I don't even .." Her brain felt a little scrambled, reality sinking in that this was actually happening. She was also quite conflicted, seeing such good people becoming, vicious and hungry for the gold, that they no longer looked like civilized human beings. Seeing officers of the law, standing for justice, becoming no better than the men fighting in a corner, trying to pry some coin from each other despite so much was around them. The constant clinging of gold hitting the pavement ringing in her ears, her heart was a bit torn. Deciding it was time to act, she ignored Latte and began to head towards the crowd.

As she was trying to get by the mass of bodies to reach the man inflicted with the curse, the officer sprung out with his gun pointing at her. "You! What has your friend done! Answer me!" The cop ordered to Alexandra, the barrel staring right into her line of sight. She tried her best to sound reasonable, trying to talk over the volumes of people arguing and shouting at one another, in hopes to calm the him down. ". .. Please, I am sure we can talk this out .. ! Just let me through-"

"STAY WHERE YOU ARE, NOW!" His face filled with rage, clicking down on the hammer piece to show he was more than ready to fire his weapon. Despite this, she tried to look over him to the man that was standing still, coin flying out of his pockets with fear in his eyes. "Let me help your friend! ... O .. Officer?!" As Alexandra tried to get his attention, the officer lowered his gun as his eyes couldn't ignore the gold any longer. He dropped his gun, the centaur catching it in case the gun could of accidentally fired, now watching the once sane policeman dropping to his knees before trying to pick out the gold, even pushing a woman away from the one coin she wanted, in the sea of gold that showered around them, flowing down the street. ".. .." Looking over to Latte once again, she also noticed a portal was created before her very eyes. She then put the gun away into her pouch, before more and more people swarmed in from all over to collect the gold with such wicked desire.

Am I dreaming? .. This all feels, like a fantasy that's running wild. She looked back at her beloved people, then at the police, then figuring out the only real way to stop this, was to reach Latte, the one responsible, and ask her to end this. Alexandra rushed over to the planeswalker, placing both hands onto the blonde girl's shoulders, begging her "Latte, please, remove this spell of yours. If you do, i'll go along and help you, just ... I can't let my people act so deprived and hurt one another like this!" It wasn't an order, for there was no anger in Alexandra's voice. It was more of concern, wanting to ensure no one would be seriously harmed in this turn of events.

"It's not such a big deal," Latte said. She was a bit taken aback by the intensity at which Alexandra pleaded. It was as if the centaur had never witnessed magic before. "Gods... you sound just like Kole." Latte held out her hand and laid claim to the gold spilling out onto the road. Gold, no matter artificial or natural, had the interesting property of being easily transmutable into aether of any aspect. Latte snapped her fingers and transmuted a hefty sum of the gold into white-aspected aether and focused the energies into the tips of her fingers.

She struck out with her hand and the gold, as well as the curse, bled away into nothing. The white magic left a stinging sensation on her fingers that she never got used to. Latte and white aether had never particularly agreed with one another, which led to the unfortunate situation where casting white spells was much more taxing than she would have liked it to be.

The scrabbling frenzy of human forms ceased almost immediately as lucidity returned to them. Many of weaker individuals collapsed immediately from the mental exhaustion from mania finally caught up with them.

Latte shook her right hand out. Flecks of white mana still dribbled from her hand, leaving trails of brilliant light like floating diamonds. "The curse would have faded in time. No one would have been hurt." Latte said sheepishly. She looked away toward the churning blue aether that made up her aether tunnel. "You didn't have to swear like that..."

The gull next to her took off in flight, soaring up high into the air as it anticipated Latte's departure from the scene. Latte turned and hopped through the portal.

She landed gently on top of a flat marble platform on some high hill. The portal behind her continued to swirl, waiting patiently for the centaur woman to follow. Latte stretched and cracked several joints in her spin and sighed. Now that she took a good look at the place, it did kind of remind her of home, what with all the marble buildings and the blazing sun. Though the humidity was still damnable. Latte would never let that go. A small part of her wondered what Kole was up to now that she had left him to come here. Xikkis had never felt so far away.

"Maybe I should be more sparing with my use of spells," Latte said aloud to herself as she brought up a visual representation of her library. "The people here are much more sensitive than I could have anticipated." She cycled through some of her spells and sealed some of them away behind a limit-break rune so that she would not be tempted to call upon them.

"It's not such a big deal," Latte said. She was a bit taken aback by the intensity at which Alexandra pleaded. It was as if the centaur had never witnessed magic before. "Gods... you sound just like Kole." Being reassured that this would all be undone, Alexandra let go of the girl's shoulders before stepping aside, watching as the sorceress(?) snapped her fingers, white sparks making the centaur have to shut her eyes from how bright it got for a brief moment. When she reopened her eyes to see the results of Latte's work, the scrabbling frenzy of human forms ceased almost immediately as lucidity returned to them. Many of weaker individuals collapsed immediately from the mental exhaustion from mania finally caught up with them.

"The curse would have faded in time. No one would have been hurt." Latte said sheepishly. She looked away toward the churning blue aether that made up her aether tunnel. "You didn't have to swear like that..."

Having a reliving sigh, she had a weak but firm smile to back up her current mood. ".. Even so, thank you for freeing them. I-" Right in mid sentence, the large bird and Latte had already went into the portal, leaving her to stand there awkwardly. She assumed they ditched her, but the portal remained opened, Alexandra remembering that she did promise to follow her after that whole ordeal.

Taking a second glance out, the people seemed lost, chattering away at one another, asking questions with only more layers of questions on what just happened. She spotted the one officer whom got the worst of it, now panting on the floor with sweat beating down his head. Her horse-like ears did shoot upward when the other cops gained haste right at her, all withdrawing their guns. All of them shouting at her in Greek, mostly consisting of "FREEZE!" and "YOU BETTER NOT MOVE A FUCKING MUSCLE!"

"Time to go." Her face said it all, she had a silly grin as she started galloping towards the portal. A few gun shots were made, folks screaming in the background from the sudden gunfire. The centaur made it inside, as the portal seemed to of shrunk, leaving nothing but the empty space behind Alexandra like it never existed in the first place. She turned her upper torso (as far as the human body could manage) before checking out her red saddle. At least 2-3 bullet holes managed to hit their marks on the side, making the centaur frown. "Can't believe they would shoot at me. I had nothing to do with it. And what if they accidentally shot someone else? ..."Luckily, the saddle's red silk was so dense and thick, so the bullet holes weren't all that noticeable. She would have to work on sewing those up later, but for now, she stood alongside Latte in this blazing heat to ask her, "Well, I didn't break my word so .. .. here I am."

"I'm not familiar with portals, so .. are we even in Greece still, or somewhere else?" Her tone showed no annoyance or anger, it was slight curiosity if not Alexandra simply wondering where the portal ended up taking them.

Kalastryn:Once arriving at the canteen, ARES took a seat at one of the nearby tables, offering Hillary a menu. "So- and this is just a wild guess here... so I guess you turn into what you touch? That seems... wildly unstable and difficult to deal with." she said, not even aware of Hillary's "normal" slime-like appearance due to her naturally having contact with the floor the entire time they were here.

Rising Dawn Airship: CanteenTime: 9:54 AM

Despite ARES' suggestion of being separated on their journey out of the confines of the ship's inner workings, Hillary's hand stuck to ARES' hull like glue. Still save for a few hiccups that caused Hillary to lose her focus, she managed to maintain the floor material form the whole way up. Such hiccups were exceptionally brief, the hull material never making it past Hillary's shoulder before the floor's material quickly pushed it back. It wasn't until they were out in the main halls with other people walking to and fro that she finally pulled her hand away.

She certainly wasn't a shy one this Hillary, walking without a care that she was bare to the world, a warm smile on her face as she waved at passers by. Moreover she didn't seem to have trouble keeping pace as she shifted from surface to surface either. She clearly was changing mass with each shift, the dent in the floor from before making this very obvious, yet her stride didn't suffer from gaining several kilograms of weight! This seemed entirely natural for her, something you didn't need to think about like breathing or blinking, and it showed when some of the workers stopped to glance her way only for her have to consider why they were looking at her.

Sitting at the table with ARES, Hillary took a moment to set the figurine with her down on the table, which quickly shifted to the stained wooden surface. For the moment, Hillary's form settled on the material of the chair there, a dark wood construction that left the swirling, glossy finish on Hillary's body. She looked similar to something a ship's figurehead, her hair appeared to be a part of her body as it clung in dainty curls to her mid back. "Oh, thank you very much Ms ARES." Hillary said as she took the menu, the pattern in her eyes moving from side to side as she clearly was looking it over before a quick look upwards. She looked a little surprised and looked around the canteen before looking back to ARES. "How'd you know all that?" Hillary asked, genuinely surprised. "It is really tricky to deal with some times, but... Hillary hasn't had anyone ask her that before so quickly. You're really smart ARES, I can tell." She smiled a wooden smile.

"That's right though, Hillary tries to be prepared when she can, but even I have to admit it's really hard sometimes. But she's learned a lot of tricks to help make living away from Garton a lot easier, even if they don't always fix everything." She answered as the wood grain of her eyes moved down again. "Hmm... That's um... hmm..." She muttered to herself, putting down the menu and tracing her finger over the word "Triple Chocolate Fudge Brownie" with a picture above it. "That's... a tri-pl-ee... trIplee? No triple? And... this..." She said as she slowly worked out the name on her own, insisting she do it because. "Penelope wants Hillary to learn how to read, so I should try doing it when Hillary can. Practice makes perfect even if it's not what Hillary normally reads."

"You tell me," Latte said as she pointed out toward the city. Athens sat below the hill that they were on, bustling as it had been the moments before that scuffle in the streets. Alexandra came to the realization of where they were. They were standing on top of the Parthenon. "Aether tunnels can't go far. The spell was meant for infiltration, not teleportation. So, now that we're alone..." Latte peered over the side of the structure and noted the large number of milling tourists outside the roped off protected area of the temple, "relatively, anyway, mind giving me a quick run down of any league of extraordinary individuals in this world?"

"You tell me," Latte pointed to the city, the centaur immediately recognizing the spot from where they were standing now. It was the Pantheon itself, making her take in the beauty of being this high up, her eyes sweeping over the horizon that held all of Athens.

It felt, nostalgic really. For a brief moment, Alexandra remembered seeing this magnificent structure from afar on her friend's roof ... to think she would wind up on top of the building itself the very next day! Still, she couldn't daydream in a time like this, for Latte was trying to speak with her. "Aether tunnels can't go far. The spell was meant for infiltration, not teleportation. So, now that we're alone..." Latte peered over the side of the structure and noted the large number of milling tourists outside the roped off protected area of the temple, "relatively, anyway, mind giving me a quick run down of any league of extraordinary individuals in this world?"

Why would you be in possession of a spell that can infiltrate? ... Latte, you wouldn't happen to be a thief, would you? Now that she had a moment to ponder, the centaur did recall Latte mentioning, "I collect things. Stories, trinkets, histories, records of remarkable people. Whatever I can get my hands on." However, she didn't have enough proof nor felt the need to question Latte about such matters, yet. She instead went with answering the girl's question on supernatural people.

".. Your guess is as good as mine i'm afraid- w, wait a moment." She went ahead and withdrew her IPhone, right before going onto Google and typing in the name The Rising Dawn. Multiple if not dozens upon dozens of results came up. Articles, Videos, News Reports, even custom websites devoted in talking about the organization and determining their motives. She handed the device on over to Latte, while informing her, "I may not know too much about them, but this, Rising Dawn seems to have all sorts of extremely talented people. They may be the ones you're looking for. In fact, there was currently a Live Stream, seems everyone is talking about them and the Denver attack in America. Check it out."

She swiped the screen with her finger, going to a video that captured the recent Live Stream. FGC Network News were having a rather length discussion about the incident and the Rising Dawn's involvement in stopping the terrorists, and onward. "Funny enough, I was on my way over to the Athens International Airport to fly on over to America, that was until you came into the picture.

Perhaps this is destiny calling you and me?" In all honesty, she still seemed dazed by this whole magic affair, but she was slowly starting to accept there may be more to this world than the daily life of a centaur.

"Well, it's important to have a good work/life balance. I myself am going to propose that we have a nice holiday. Someplace sunny and peaceful, away from all that nasty business in Denver. Not sure if I'm going to be able to have much of a swim but if nothing else, I can work on my tan." Jenny suggested as they entered the canteen.David was still there, this time yelling at someone else on the over a video call as he tried to get his prisoner's transferred."-Dude, I get it! US doesn't want more egg on its face right now, Fair enough. They had a shit break. But I'm still not seeing how would affect our operation. Hell, they want to keep Gitmo open? These bastards are perfect for that!" He barked into a white-faced administrator on the other end of the feed."I'm not fucking interested in excuses, I want some damn results. What's the point in me risking my life, not your life, MINE, for justice, freedom, human rights, all that good shit if you can't FUCKING DO YOUR JOBS!?" He finally snapped before throwing the tablet across the room.

He was rather shocked at first when it suddenly stopped in mid air before safely and softly being placed on the table in front of him."Mind using an indoor voice, David?" Jenny politely asked, her voice quickly defusing the Irishman."oh...Hey J, Kala...Sorry...Just you'd think getting prisoners put in a prison would be easier. From my limited understanding of the situation:

A). The Democrats want Bison as far away from the US as possible to avoid him possibly escaping while the Republicans want him back, most likely because he can win elections for them, so they're making it hard to put the guy anywhere.

B). Cortex and Wesker, the ones who COULD be put in a prison without much trouble, are the subjects of some bullshit bidding war between different Southern Hemisphere countries trying to scoop them up like German Rocket Scientists in the 40s. And the last thing anyone wants is people who can cause that much trouble ending up in the wrong hands.

And finally, C). Doom, for reasons I fail to understand nor wish to, is apparently a Diplomat for a country I've never heard of so we CAN'T put him in a prison at all. I mean-...who'd even WANT him as their diplomat?!"

Jenny's brow furrowed slightly as she realized there was a name missing: "Well-...What about-...Bruiser?""Oh, don't worry. I didn't forget about his blue lizard ass. He's apparently going to gulag in Siberia, least if the Russians can figure out how much they want for their troubles. I'm sure he'll appreciate the cold while he thinks about his awful life choices." David smugly answered, taking a bit of pride in getting at least one of them put away for good."...Oh...I see...""...Something wrong, JJ?""...I-...I guess I thought I'd be happier to hear that..." She weakly said, not sure how to feel about the being that hurt her so much being put away in a frozen death camp for the rest of his life."Just remember: This is about protecting people from them so they can't hurt anyone again. If they learn the error of their ways, great. If not, other people won't suffer for their ignorance. Even if I have to go over to UNIT's head office and strangle someone to get it done..."

A rather concerned looking Imp watched the conversation, holding a coffee jug while looking at David."Oh, thank you." He smiled as he got another refill.

ARES was still unsure about social graces really, not quite knowing how to approach the topic or what to ask first. On the topic of Hillary's order, she had to say. "I can only really imagine how that tastes... but it does sound pretty good." She said, at least before the rather boisterous David caught her attention. She scoffed, shaking her head. "That is one thing that could do with less consistency. Just can't come to an agreement over anything... ugh." she said, rubbing her temples as she realized that while their work apprehending the criminals they were after was done, actually finalizing the matter was proving... difficult. Still, turning her attention to her guest of the hour, she said. "Well... it would be best to put it out of mind for now. So, who is this Penelope? And what do you usually read? she said, trying to make small talk.

Kala as well voiced a little bit of discontent on David's issue. "You know, this is why I don't pay attention to politics. Some people will apologize on behalf of the worst people in the world, and even those who agree they need to be dealt with fight among themselves clamoring to have the honor of being the one to deal with it. Either way, sorry you're struggling so much with the red tape. That said... that sounds like a wonderful idea Jenny. I mean, the weather's been plenty good for it lately, and hells, we could all use the time off." She said, turning to the imp with a yawn. "Would you kindly get some for me too? sigh At least I slept well. Feels like I was dreaming for weeks. Oh, and has anyone seen Miia around?"

Latte pondered Alexandra's words for some moments as she stared at her phone. "What is this?" Latte asked as she put a hand on the handheld device. "Some sort of handheld library? Or a communication nexus? How is this powered, does it consume aether or is it self-sustaining? Where does the information come from? Where do the pictures come from? Are they generated using autonomous arcanum or are they hand-created? If they are hand-made, are they made by scholars and mages or by laborers?"

"How many of these things are in this world? Are they common or are they rare?" Latte continued. "What materials is this made of? Glass and steel? Or is it some sort of aether-infused alloy? How does it read your instruction? Does it track the aether in your body or does it interface through some sort of spell?"

Then suddenly Latte stopped and took a step back. She cleared her throat. "Those questions can wait. I suppose the first thing we must do is get to the airport. It would be unfitting if you missed your flight to America. I will tag along as best I can. Please, lead the way."

The Captain, Mio Kaizuko, was sitting in the captain's chair on the bridge of the Rising Dawn, reading a magazine for its interesting articles. She sat back, relaxed and sure of herself. The systems all seemed to be in order, the weird dream she had had was over and of course everything went swimmingly. Now just to decide on a place to take this ship ...

Diana had enough of weird occurences and strange dreams. She called a number on her phone. A portal opened in her cabin and she yeeted off the Rising Dawn.

After a bit of wandering about trying to find the woman in question, Rugal finally tracked her down to the captain's seat of the vessel.Upon seeing her, he took a moment to adjust his outfit slightly in a bid to not only to put his best foot forward but also assert himself.He had originally gotten the job by just-...well, taking it, sure, but he wasn't going to lose what he had because of a software glitch of all things!Entering the bridge, he soon walked towards the young captain's chair, being sure to position himself where his figure could block out a nearby light.With his shadow cast upon her, he kindly said "Ahhh, Ms. Kaizuko. Just who I looking for. Now, I'm not sure if you were made aware but there seemed to have been some sort of error in the ship's systems. Nothing major, just an issue of certain...permissions being accidentally reassigned. Made getting out the Captain's quarters this morning rather interesting."

With his nicest smile and the best imposing stance he could muster, he added "And it appears that, in order to resolve this issue, the acting Captain will need to transfer those permissions back so, if you wouldn't mind-"A finger soon pulled down the magazine slightly as he made his point as clear as possible: "I'd like my position back. If you recall I was the one who helped bring you aboard and I'd rather not there be any-...disagreements between us over a glitch of all things. Wouldn't you agree?"He then leaned against a nearby terminal, awaiting her answer with as much patience was needed.

Mio looked at the guy who had come up to her and raised an eyebrow. "A glitch? What are you talking about. I am clearly the Captain, don't you see? I've got the coat, the hat, the permissions.."

She stood and seized Rugal up and down. "In any case, I was the one who created order when you were just absent. The crew is in terrible shape. I'm raising them to become true travelers now." She paused, then smiled at Rugal and added: "Of course I'd be willing to hear out any input you have, like where to go and what to do. We're all equals here. But of course I make the final decisions.Now, is there anything else you wanted?"

His reaction was-...somewhat mixed to that reply, prompting a slight clearing of his throat before he said "...So-...it wasn't just a glitch then?"Rugal bit his cheek a little before he reached over for a nearby chair, one of the hard metal ones that was reserved for senior bridge crew, and plopped it down right in front of Mio's (The "Captain's") seat.Sitting down on it, he made his case: "...I can appreciate your Initiative and I thank you for it. But imagine if our roles were reversed and I just so happened to take your right to be captain right from under your nose. You wouldn't be happy now would you? And I'll confess, I'm not exactly pleased with this chain of events. I'll have you know I was the sea faring kind myself back in the day. Helmed a great aircraft carrier called the Blacknoah. Don't get me wrong, I understand you skill in this field but-..."

Letting out a single deep breath, he flat out said "I don't want to have my quarters, lose my permissions and be see as something other then the captain. Do you understand? I want what I've worked so hard to get and keep back. And I'd feel it'd be a lot easier for ALL of us if you just-...give it back..."

While he was trying to intimidate Mio, one of the screens on her control panel lit up as Viscus stared at her.[System Diagnostic Complete. Ship status green. Awaiting your orders Captain Kaizuko]"Ahhh, just who I wanted to see! Tell me Viscus!...You said the change in command was due to a glitch. Yet the "Captain" here says she took it upon herself to give herself the position behind my back...So clearly one of you is lying."[My analysis was as complete as I could made it while the systems were being rebooted. I don't have any records of such a conversation happening but I can confirm User: Mio Kaizuko's status as captain.]"Oh how very convenient...Look, She's going to give me my permissions ba-"[Correction: Those permissions belong to User: Mio Kaiuko, as does the Captain's Quarters. You have 24 hours to vacate.]"V-vacate-I beg your pardon!? I'm not going anywhere! She stole this position from me!"[Records indicate you have done the same]"...well-...T-t-that was different! I rose to the occasion because, if you remember, we were in the middle of war for the existence of Mankind itself!"[Calculating...No significant difference detected] The AI lifelessly droned, though there was something about how quickly he made that analysis that suggested...I dunno, like he had it ready for this exact moment?

Rugal was quickly starting to turn red faced as he glared at Mio again and calmly said "...This is your last chance. Return what you have taken from me. Believe me, I'm not someone you wish to get on the bad side of..."[Caution: Threat detected. Suggest engaging security protocols]It was very hard to intimidate someone with that blasted AI interrupting him every 10 seconds...

Rising Dawn: Canteen: David, Jenny, Kala

The imp quickly complied before pulling out a cup from-...somewhere and filling it for her right on the spot."Can't say that I have to be honest. I've been busy yelling at people over the internet all morning. Then again, I could imagine that after what went down in Denver, she might have-...decided this place wasn't for her. Not that I'd blame her mind but I just don't know sadly." David remarked as he went to start another call, only to pause for a moment and make a suggestion."...We could try somewhere in the Mediterranean. Hear that place is rather nice this time of year. We'd have to keep our "Guests" under lock and eye if we're going to head there though."

Jenny was a bit more distant in this conversation, her mind still thinking about what the Irishman had said but she was able to snap out of it long enough to add "Well-...I'm going to head to the bridge and talk to Mio about setting a course-""Mio?...Why her?""Oh, didn't you hear? She's apparently the new captain. The AIs were sending the message out."A bit of confusion flowed over David's face before he picked up the tablet and scrolled though dozens of notifications to find their message buried in between bids by Brazil and Mexico for Cortex's extradition."...Oh wow...Ohhohohoh, Blondi's is going to be Pisssssed. Hope she knows how to sleep with her eyes open...""Yeah, I might need to get involved in that regard, last thing I want to have to deal with Rugal tearing the ship apart in a temper tantrum." Jenny nervously laughed, looking forward to that about as much as anyone who'd seen Rugal when he was angry."Mind backing me up, Kala? He's very subbon for his age..."